Santa Fe, NM (Mar. 14)—CytoDon, Inc. (
http://www.cytodyn.com) selected the Waisman Clinical BioManufacturing Facility (
http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/wcbf/design.html) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (
http://www.wisc.edu) to manufacture its DNA-based pre-flu vaccine. The vaccine uses DNA technology to implant a false memory of previous exposure to the virus and could offer an alternative approach to immunization. CytoDyn hopes to have clinical trials of the vaccine underway by the end of the 2008 flu season.

Keele, UK (Mar. 6)—Cobra Manufacturing Plc (
http://www.cobrabio.com) joined a consortium that focuses on developing a new oral vaccine-delivery system based on live bacterial spores. The research program will use genetically engineered spores to express vaccine determinants on their coat.

Bagsværd, Denmark (Mar. 5)—Novo Nordisk (
http://www.novonordisk.com) joined forces with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS, Beijing,
http://www.cas.ac.cn) to establish a joint research foundation in China. The Novo Nordisk–Chinese Academy of Science Research Foundation will fund or cofund activities within the fields of biopharmaceuticals, protein chemistry, immunology, toxicology, oncology, and drug delivery.

Pasadena, CA (Mar. 1)—Materia, Inc. (
http://www.materia-inc.com) plans to collaborate with Peakdale Molecular, Ltd. (Chapel-en-le-Frith, UK,
http://www.peakdale.co.uk) to offer metathesis-based scaffolds for the pharmaceutical industry. The agreement gives Peakdale nonexclusive rights to use Materia's methathesis intellectual property portfolio for the design, development, and sale of the scaffolds for research. The partners will identify target compounds, which then will be produced and distributed by Peakdale. Both companies hope to introduce two new series of scaffolds by the end of 2007. They plan to introduce more series in 2008.